


The Joke's on You

by secretscientist



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Friendship/Love, Love/Hate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-24 17:41:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30075906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretscientist/pseuds/secretscientist
Summary: Taking place right at the end of 4x22, Lex reveals Supergirl's identity to Lena, but things go differently, as Lena had already figured out that Kara was Supergirl years ago. Lena struggles with her identity as a Luthor, and Kara works to break down Lena's barriers. The two will face a number of obstacles as their relationship continues to build, including one obstacle that will become a difficult pill to swallow for Kara. This is a Supercorp story.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor/Supergirl
Comments: 4
Kudos: 80





	1. A Different Ending

**Author's Note:**

> hello, I doubt anyone will ever read this, but I needed a creative outlet. I've never written fanfic before, I am by no means a writer, and I haven't written creatively in over five years or so. I really enjoy watching the chemistry between kara and lena, and I enjoy thinking of them as two people who have slowly fallen in love with each other without realizing it over time. if u do come across this, feel free to comment suggestions for content or how to write. hope u enjoy.

“The joke’s on you. It’s always been on you,” Lex taunted as he grabbed a remote and pressed the play button. A large screen illuminated in front of Lena. “Your friends have been lying to you from the start.” Lex continued to speak, while Lena stared blankly, watching the images of Kara flash in front of her. “Kara Danvers is Supergirl,” Lex crowed. “I’m about to die, but at least I lived without ever being a fool. You’re left with no one, and nothing.”

Lena’s blank stare slowly turned into a smirk. “A fool? That’s rich. You’re the one seconds away from your last breath. And you thought that you still had one last move? Well the joke’s on you. I’ve always known that Kara was Supergirl.” Lex’s grin slowly faded, along with his eyes, as the life continued to drain out of him. “Remember that first game of chess we played? I won. I’ve always been smarter than you, Lex. You were just too proud to ever admit it. Our entire relationship has been a game of chess, and I’ve always been five steps ahead of you. I knew about Eve, I knew you were going to try to play the ill brother card to get me to do your bidding. I even knew you were going to try to kill James. I planned for all of it, and because of you, I am so good at lying and acting that it was so easy to pretend like you were the one winning the game. It was all planned up until this moment. This final moment, where I could finally pull the trigger, and watch you die.

“Lena…” Lex muttered, his eyes continuing to droop, his face growing more pallid by the second.

“Hope you enjoy hell, Lex.”

“Len-“ Lex was cut off by the sound of another gunshot, the bullet placed between his eyes.

Lena’s eyes went blank again. She stared at the lifeless body lying on the floor. She walked over to him, kneeled, and placed her index and middle fingers on his throat. She had completed her goal, the goal she had set ever since Lex was put in jail. She knew that the world would never be a safe place with him in it. After standing coldly for a few minutes, Lena tapped her transmatter portal watch and walked through the glowing purple hole.

* * *

Lena stepped out of the shower and grabbed her towel. She brushed off some of the fog on the mirror with the edge of her palm, revealing her utterly empty eyes. She could not recognize herself. Lena grabbed the bottle of scotch out of the shower, and continued to sip out of the bottle while putting on her bath robe and making her way to her bed. Upon laying down, she grabbed her phone and started to scroll through her news feed, looking to see what had been said about Lex. The top headline read “Supergirl Saves Day, Defeats Luthor for Good.” _Luthor_ , Lena thought. _That fucking name. It’s a fucking curse. And the worst part? I lived up to the fucking name. I lied. I betrayed. I killed. I played the stupid fucking chess game. And I won. And I…. I enjoyed it…. Fuck_. Lena’s thoughts kept racing through her head. _I’ve been playing chess with everyone in my life since college, since facing all of the betrayal from my brother, my mother, Andrea…. I fucked up with Rhea, big time. That was a moment of weakness. But otherwise? I have Kara right where I want her, I have the upper hand with knowing her secret. She doesn’t know I know, and that’s the way I want it. Right? I don’t know who I am anymore. I started building these walls after endless betrayal. But those walls were only the opening of my chess games. I’ve since set up endless win scenarios with everyone. I can take advantage of all of them. But…._ Lena’s thoughts grew more and more incoherent and chaotic. She continued to drown herself in scotch before passing out for the night.


	2. Breaking Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara pays Lena a visit, despite Lena having no interest in seeing Kara. Lena reveals a huge piece of information to Kara, much to Kara's surprise. Kara tries to help Lena work through her trust issues.

Lena gasped as she opened her eyes. She glanced at her clock, which read 1:00PM. _1:00 PM?? Shit._ She laid still in her bed for a few seconds before slowly rubbing her eyes and grabbing her phone. _Ten missed voicemails!?_ They were all from Kara. Lena groaned as she heard Kara’s cheery but concerned voice through her phone asking if she was alright. She was very much not ok, but she was not about to tell Kara that.

Her relationship with Kara was quite complicated in her mind. Every time she thought about her, Lena’s mind would overheat. She knew Kara’s secret. She watched Kara lie to her over and over again, both as Kara and as Supergirl, and with each lie came another layer of anger and distrust. But what frustrated her even more was how supportive and caring Kara was, because the support felt real, and Lena so desperately wanted her friendship with Kara to be real, for all of the words coming out of Kara’s mouth to be real, but the knowledge of Kara’s numerous lies meant that Lena could not trust a single word Kara spoke. _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right? Clearly those are Kara’s motives. She has no reason to be kind to me other than to get something out of me. She keeps me close to take advantage of my resources as a scientist while also ensuring I can do no harm as a Luthor. Well, fuck you, Kara. I already did harm, I’ve done so much harm, my mind is a palace of distrust, anger, betrayal, and you, you’re going to pay for your contribution to that._ Lena squeezed her fists in temporary anger. She then leaned over to her bedside table and picked up her bottle of scotch. She removed the top and starting drinking, allowing the liquid to easily float down her throat. _I have to call her back._ She slid her finger across the screen, then punched in the familiar numbers of Kara Danvers.

“Lena! Thank God!” Kara yelped.

“Hey Kara, sorry I was… I was busy last night with… With things,” Lena replied.

“Are you alright?” Kara questioned.

“I’m fine,” Lena managed.

“I’m coming over. And I’m bringing donuts. You sound like you need it”

“Kara, I’m fine. Please, just let me-“

“No, I’m coming over. You need your best friend. No buts.”  
  
“Kara, n-“

“I’m coming. See you in 30 minutes.”

 _Shit._ Lena clenched her teeth. _I can’t have her see me like this._ Lena attempted to roll herself out of bed, but as soon as her feet touched the floor, she stumbled and fell. She laid on the floor and took another swig of scotch. _Fuck it._ After five minutes, she managed to make her way off the floor and into her closet. She took off her robe and replaced it with comfy gray sweatpants and a navy, oversized hoodie. She turned to her mirror. _God I look like shit._ Her eyes carried heavy bags under them, still red from exhaustion. She then heard the knock on her door that she had been dreading. She walked over, took one last sip from her bottle, and opened the door.

“Lena!” Kara exclaimed.

“Kara,” Lena said with no emotion in her voice. “Come in.”

Kara walked in and hugged Lena, to which Lena hesitantly returned. 

“You look like you’ve had a rough past 24 hours. Here, I brought donuts.”  
  
“I’m not very hungry.”  
  
“I’ll just leave them on the counter then.” Kara then walked over to Lena’s couch, and tapped the seat beside her. “Tell me what’s wrong Lena.”

“Kara, I’m really not in the-“

“Lena, please, I think it’ll help you, you can vent to me judgement free, I promise.”

“Kara, I can’t.”  
  
“What do you mean you can’t?”

“It’s just that-“

“Just that what?”

“I don’t know, Kara. I just can’t.”

“Okay…”

“You should go.”  
  
“I’m not leaving until I know you’re okay.”  
  
“You leaving would make me more okay.” Kara felt stung. Lena had never been this heartless, this cruel.

“Lena, what’s going on?”  
  


“It’s nothing, Kara. It’s honestly nothing.”

“This doesn’t feel like no-“

“Fine. You want to know what’s wrong, Kara? It’s you. It’s always been you. You know what, fuck you.” Kara’s mouth dropped a bit, giving Lena a confused stare. “Oh, don’t give me that, Kara. Stop acting innocent. You’ve been lying to me. For years. And you know what, I have been too. I’ve always known. And to think that you thought I was foolish enough, stupid enough, to not see right through your disguise of a pair of fucking glasses?” Kara started to put the pieces together, her lips returning together and her eyes starting to quiver. “I know you’re Supergirl,” Lena exclaimed. _Fuck, I just gave up my upper hand._

“Lena, I-“

“Shut it, Kara. You’ve always been a pawn to me, as I’m sure I was to you. You were my in to the DEO, I’ve used you for my own protection. You have proven quite useful time and again.”

“Lena, I never used you. I never –“

“Stop with the lying, Kara!”

“I’m not! Lena, I’ve never used you. I’ve only cared about you. A ton. And the reason I didn’t tell you was to protect you.”

“Bullshit. Absolute bullshit. You never trusted me. How could you trust a Luthor with that information?”  
  
“Lena, this has nothing to do with –“

“Of course it does. After what Lex did to your cousin, I don’t blame you for not – “

“Lena, stop! I judge you on your own merits. I don’t associate you with Lex. I’ve only seen you as good, as caring and compassionate. You want to help people, do good in the world. That’s why I’m your friend.”

“Friend? Good? That’s rich. Kara, every word out of your mouth has been a lie, and you think we’re friends? And I’m _not_ good. I’m no better than my brother. I’m just like him.”

“Lena, no you’re not.”

“You don’t know me! No one does, and that’s the way I’ve wanted to keep it. For years. Every single person I have ever considered trusting has let me down, betrayed me. There is no one in this world worth trusting other than myself. And why should I trust anyone? I’m perfectly capable of doing everything alone, and I’m also a Luthor, so I can manipulate anyone into fitting into my plan. You saw my chess trophies, Kara. You know I’m right.”

“No. Lena, you’re not your brother.”

“You don’t know who or what I am.”

“You may not have trusted me, but I trusted you. I know, I betrayed you by not telling you my identity. I lied to you, many, many times to cover for that. But underneath those lies, everything was true. You may never have seen me as your friend, but you, Lena Luthor, are my friend. You put up this front of stoicism, of intelligence and confidence. You make it seem like nothing hurts you. You make it seem like everything was your plan, like you were in control of everything the whole time. But we both know that’s not true. You _are_ good, Lena Luthor.”  
  
“Stop sputtering lies, Kara. Why are you still trying to manipulate me?”  
  
“I’m not trying to manipulate you, Lena. Are you so incapable of believing that someone might genuinely want to help you? Want to be by your side? You’re strong, intelligent, beautiful, capable, and good. You are good, Lena, and I’m not sure what’s gotten into you to make you think you’re not. I don’t believe for one minute that you’ve been purposefully manipulating me.”

“You’re so naïve, Kara. I’m a Luthor. I’ve killed people. I killed my own brother.”

“What? No… I killed Lex.”

“No, Kara, you didn’t.”

“I watched him…”

“But did you watch him die? No. He used his portal watch, and I was there, waiting for him. Gun loaded, prepared to kill. I had planned for that, Kara. I planned for everything.”

“That doesn’t make you a villain.”

“Kara, I killed my _brother_. And I _wanted_ to. I felt calm the second I pulled that trigger. The world finally felt ok.”

“But you killed him because he was a threat. You probably felt calm knowing that he could do no more harm.”

“Kara, you don’t know what I’m feeling.”  
  
“Then tell me. Lena, I genuinely care about you.”

“Kara, just stop!”

“For someone who hates me so much, why did our friendship seem so genuine? I get it, I was hiding my identity as Supergirl, but the way you treated me as Kara didn’t feel like betrayal at all. I haven’t once felt hurt by you. If you’re so upset, why haven’t you tried to hurt me?”

“I had to make it seem genuine! I’m a good actress, Kara, what can I say.” _Was Kara on to something? Couldn’t be. Now that I think about it, I never once hurt Kara. I was ok butting heads when she was Supergirl, but not as Kara. Her more human form weakened me? I’m not sure_

“I’m not buying it.”  
  
“Well, it’s the truth.” Lena continued to think. _This wasn’t the truth was it._

“Lena, you know my lie now, or I guess you’ve always known it. But now, I don’t have to hide my identity from you. This was the only thing I’ve lied to you about, because I know how much you value honesty. So if you want to trust me with anything, I’m here for you, and I always will be. You’ve never had someone you could trust, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t be that person for you originally, but I can be now. You know all of my secrets. I want to be that person for you.”

 _I literally just told her that I’ve been using her. And she wants to be my friend? Still? Maybe she is being genuine… No, I can’t let my guard down._ “Kara, I-“

“I get it, you’re confused. I just want to be the one person in your life that you can count on. Always. I promised you that I would always protect you, and no matter what, I will stay true to my word, because you’re worth it. Behind your walls is a big pile of mush. All you want is to do good, I can see that. Yes, you’ve done things in your life that went against that mantra of doing no harm. But at your core, you are a good person, Lena. And even though you’re trying to drive me away because I got too close, I’m not going to budge.”

 _She’s right. She’s gotten way too close to me. And I’m afraid that this thin line between love and hate might’ve been breached. I thought I hated her, but to her point, why did I never actually cross the line to hurt her? Why do I… why do I enjoy seeing her? But if I let her in, I’m only opening myself up to endless pain._ “You’re right,” Lena blurted out. _Fuck._

“What?” Kara sounded surprised.

 _I guess there’s no going back now._ “You’re right. I’m an absolute mess. I spend all of my energy being hardened on the outside, and I am strong enough to handle everything by myself, but sometimes…. sometimes I just can’t handle it. And that’s why I’d call you. I thought it was because I was trying to gain your trust, but in all honesty, it was because you made me feel safe.” _Oh those were not the words I should’ve used._

Kara let out a small smile. “Safe?”

 _Shit, she’s chipping away at my walls. Fuck it._ Lena suddenly grasped Kara’s head and pulled it towards hers, placing her lips hard onto Kara’s. _What the fuck am I doing._ Lena quickly released Kara’s face, dropping her mouth in shock. Kara’s jaw did the same.

“Lena, I-“

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what- I don’t-“ Lena stuttered.

“It’s ok, Lena.” Kara took Lena’s hand into hers. “I’m glad that you’re done lying to me about your feelings.”

“I’m probably not done lying to you about them, habits are hard to break, after all.” _What did I just do. Why did I... The damn scotch. Am I? No. No way._ “I’ve had a lot to drink, if you can’t tell.”

Kara chuckled. “Certainly just tasted a lot of that alcohol.”

“My bad.” Lena let out a soft laugh, brushing her lips with her fingers.

“So, where does that leave us. Friends?”

“I’m still not in a great state, Kara. But yes, friends. I think. It’s just going to take some time to recover from all of my thoughts. I still don’t get why you are so quick to trust me, but I need the support, so I’ll take it.”

“Anything you need, I’ll be there for you.”

“Thanks, Kara. I don’t deserve you.”

“And you don’t deserve what life has thrown at you. I should probably head out and leave you be.”

“Yeah, I should get back to… doing something productive.”

“Let me know if you need anything.” Kara stood up with Lena, and the two of them embraced each other hard. Kara started to walk toward the door.

“Kara?”

“Yeah?”

“I- thank you. For everything.”

“That’s what friends are for.” Kara smiled and left Lena alone in her apartment.

 _What in the absolute fuck just happened. I just let her- I just let her inside of my walls. These impenetrable walls. I can’t believe I- And I kissed her too… What is wrong with me?_ With Lena’s mind reeling through the events that just transpired, she grabbed her bottle of scotch, finished the rest of it off, and conked out on the couch.


	3. A Difference in Opinions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara talks with Alex about her encounter with Lena, and they have to battle an enemy that has come for revenge against J'onn.

“Hey, Alex.”  
  
“Hey, Kara, where have you been? You’re all over the news.”  
  
“Yeah, about that…”  
  
“About what?”  
  
“I just came from Lena’s apartment.”

“Oh jeez, how did she handle her brother’s death?”  
  
“A little too well, she was actually the one who killed him.”  
  
“How…”

“He used the transmatter portal watch. He phased into a location she predicted, and she shot him.”

“Oh, wow. How’s she holding up?”

“Not great, we got into a really odd fight…”

“Odd how?”

“Well…. She already knew I was Supergirl, she’s known the whole time.”

“Kara, whAT!? The _whole_ time? It’s been three years!”

“I know, I don’t know how she pretended this whole time. I feel so so awful. Knowing she saw through all of my lies clearly and continued to smile at me like nothing was wrong.”

“Uh, yeah, I can’t imagine how much distrust that built up over the years.”  
  
“Yeah, she was really upset. Somehow I talked her through it though, and I think we’re ok now.”  
  
“There’s no way that after lying to her face for three years that Lena is just going to suddenly forgive you. She’s still hurt, Kara.”  
  
“She seemed like she understood when I explained, though.”  
  
“Knowing the Luthors, she’s not just going to forgive and forget. She’ll hold this against you forever, Kara. ”  
  
“Lena’s different. She’s not her brother or her mother.”

“I know you’ve always thought that, but think about how she’s known you were Supergirl for three years. She didn’t ask you about your identity sooner. She had no hesitation making kryptonite and hiding it from you. There are so many things she’s kept from you. And yet, you still think you should trust her? You think that she’s just ok with you lying to her face for three years?”

“You do have a point.”

“I know. And I don’t know what it is about her that makes you overlook her faults. She’s bad news, Kara, and the fact that she knows your secret is dangerous.”  
  
“Well, she’s done a good job of keeping my secret for three years, so I think I’ll be okay.” Kara let out a sigh of frustration.

“Kara-“  
  
“I get it, you don’t trust her. No one does. And that’s-“  
  
“Kara, people don’t trust her because she’s not trustworthy.”

“But she’s done so much good for National City. Her goal is to do good in the world. We have the same goals, and I don’t want to see someone as brilliant as her fail just because of her relations to two sociopaths.”

“Just…. be careful, Kara.”

“I am car-“ Before Kara could finish her sentence, the DEO alarms started blaring.

“We’ll finish this conversation later...”

J’onn and Brainy both rushed in, all of them facing to stare as a figure appeared before them.

“No one hides from Midnight,” the figure spoke.

“She must be here because my mother put her in the Phantom Zone,” Kara suggested.

“No. She’s here for me,” J’onn stated emphatically.

“J’onn J’onzz,” Midnight shouted while directing strands of purple energy at him and the Superfriends.

They all ducked behind the computers as Midnight continued to generate her purple energy toward them.

“Can you phase through the energy, J’onn?” Brainy suggested.

“I can try.”

J’onn managed to bypass the energy field, then struck Midnight in the face. They exchanged blows for a few seconds before Midnight grabbed J’onn by the neck with her energy and lifted him off the ground.

“Supergirl, the projector!” Alex shouted.

Kara struggled over to the phantom zone projector that was laying on the floor. She quickly grabbed it and directed the bright blue beam toward Midnight, which instantly transported her back to the Phantom Zone.

“She’s gone, ” Kara panted.

“She’ll be back.”

* * *

Kara yawned and flipped on the TV, excited to finally be able to relax when she heard a knock on her door. _Are you kidding me?_ she thought. With her x-ray vision she could see Alex’s outline. Kara walked over and opened the door.

“I brought dumplings!”  
  
“Oh thank Rao.” Kara snatched the dumplings out of Alex’s hands and scurried over to the couch. “I assume you’re here to finish talking about Lena?”

“And to eat dumplings! But yeah, I just want to make sure that you’re careful with her.”  
  
“I know, I know. And I didn’t finish telling the whole story either. You went off about how untrustworthy she is before I could finish.”

“How could there be anything more worth mentioning than Lena knowing you’re Supergirl??”

“She kissed me.”

Alex looked stunned. “She _what_?”

“She was really drunk, and toward the end of our conversation she really just let out all of her feelings and then there was a brief pause and then she grabbed me and kissed me.”

“Wow. Just. Wow.”

“I know.”

“I… don’t know what to say. I-“

“Yeah, I was pretty shocked too.”

“Well, was she a good ki-“

“Alex!”

“I am curious…”

“I don’t know I barely processed it!”

“Whatever you say, Kara. I guess this might change things for you, but please, Kara, just be careful.”  
  
“What do you mean change?”

“Clearly, she likes you.”  
  
“No she doesn’t. We’re just friends, and she was drunk and has been through a lot.”

“If you say so. I’m gonna head back to my apartment. See you tomorrow.”  
  
“Bye, sis. Thanks for the dumplings!”


	4. The Newest Superfriend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara pays Lena a visit to give her a gift. Lena has a realization about her feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter here. I'm struggling to figure out how to pace this, since I'm just going chapter by chapter with a general direction of specific plot points I want to have, but not sure how fast/slow to get to those points.

Lena woke up to the smell of the coffee alarm clock she built while tinkering around in college. _I’m such a nerd, but God do I love myself for building this_. She steadily made her way out of bed, grabbing the cup of coffee that rested on the wooden desk in her room as she exited. As she was walking toward her couch, she heard the flittering of a cape and boots pounding on the concrete of her balcony. _Kara’s here._ Lena’s heart jumped as she walked out onto her balcony, still wearing her pajamas.

“Hey, Lena! I like the outfit,” Kara grinned.

“Kara!”

“Did you just wake up?”

“Yes, just starting my first cup of coffee so I apologize in advance for anything I say.”

“Noted. I’m actually here because I have something for you.”  
  
“What is it?”

Kara pulled out a watch with the House of El crest on it. “You know everything now. If you ever need me, all you have to do is call.”

Lena carefully took the watch from Kara, briefly brushing Kara’s hand in the process. “Thank you, Kara. Entrusting me with this… It means a lot.”

“Of course. I should’ve given you one sooner, especially given the number of times I’ve had to save you,” Kara joked.

“Oh, because I haven’t saved your ass from Kryptonite numerous times before,” Lena retorted, jokingly punching Kara.

“You’re right, you’re right….” Kara trailed off, smiling at Lena.

“What has you smiling?”

“I’m just…. I’m just really glad that you know and that I can be fully honest with you now. Ever since we became friends, all of the lying killed me. But it was worth it, because I thought I was protecting you from people using my identity against you. A huge weight feels like it’s been lifted off of me.”

Lena matched Kara’s smile, biting her lip. “Good. And I’m sorry for putting you through my drunkenness yesterday. You had to listen to all of my shit, and then you had to put up with me kissing you.”

Kara chuckled. “I mean, I can’t say I minded the kiss…” Kara’s eyes avoided Lena’s as an awkward silence fell upon them. Lena started to laugh. _Oh, I did not mean to phrase it like that._ “Or I mean.. I just.. Like it wasn’t…” Kara stumbled through her words as Lena continued to laugh, a sound Kara hadn’t heard in awhile.

“It’s okay, Kara. I get what you’re trying to say. You’ve clearly had a crush on me for years-“

“No, no no. I was just trying to say-“

“I get why you would like me. I’m rich, smart, cool-“ Lena pleasured in Kara’s discomfort, smiling harder with every shade of red brighter Kara’s face turned.

“First off, I don’t like you. Well I like you, but not like you like you, oh Rao, Lena stop it!”  
  
“Stop what? You’re the one with the crush.”

“Lena!”  
  
“Sorry, sorry, I just like it when I make you uncomfortable.”  
  
“I’m not sure how to take that exactly.”

Lena moved her gaze straight into Kara’s, smiling as she could tell that Kara was trying to move her eyes away but couldn’t. “All I’m trying to say is that I like messing with you. Because you’re my friend.” Lena slowly brought her hand up to Kara’s shoulder, as Kara’s eyes followed the movement. “I’m sorry for messing with you, and thank you for the watch. I’m gonna get back to finishing up my coffee. I’ll see you later? At Catco?”

“Yes, yes of course. I’ll see ya later, boss. Friend. _Not_ crush.”

Kara launched off of Lena’s balcony, leaving Lena in a state of discontent and disappointment. She returned to her couch, chugging her now cold coffee and pondering her confusion. _Why did I want her to have a crush on me? We’re just friends._ Her face continued to contort in puzzlement. _Why am I suddenly so… Oh… Shit… I’m in love with Kara Danvers. But she doesn’t… But then why was she so…. Ugh, I need to get ready for work._ Lena continued her morning routine, trying to push Kara out of her mind, but failing miserably.


	5. Superfriends Assemble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midnight returns to the DEO with backup. Lena joins the Superfriends to help, but tensions between Kara and Alex remain high regarding Lena's status as a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to keep these chapters shorter. would people prefer longer?

Lena walked in to Catco to find Kara at her desk. She slowed her walk to focus in on Kara’s face, and watched as the crinkle in her brow would appear and disappear. Kara’s fingers vigorously tapped the keyboard, and Lena was obsessed with the intensity. Instead of stopping to talk to Kara, however, Lena bypassed her and made a beeline to her office. She couldn’t handle talking to Kara after her realization about her feelings. She wanted to just push Kara out of her mind, which was incredibly difficult given the clear view of Kara she had from her desk.

Though Kara was engrossed in her work, she still noticed the fact that Lena didn’t stop. Confused, she stood up from her desk and made her way into Lena’s office. Lena’s head was down in her computer. “Hey, Lena. What’s up?”

Lena jumped out of her chair. “Kara! I didn’t see you there.”

“Everything ok?”

“Ye- Yes. Just fine. Everything is.”

“You seem extra jumpy. Does this have anything to do with me?”  
  
“No, nope. Nothing to do with… Actually it does.”

“I thought we were good…”

“Oh, we are. Very good actually. Very. Good.”

“Okay? So what’s the problem?”

“Kara, I-“ _I should absolutely not say this._ “I think I-“

Lena was cut off by the sound of Kara’s cellphone. “I’m sorry, Len, I need to take this.”

“Yeah of course.”

Kara picked up her phone. “Alex? What’s up?”

“Midnight is back, and she has company,” Alex responded.  
  
“Who?”

“J’onn’s brother.”

“At the DEO?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be right there.” Kara hit end call.

“What was that about?” Lena questioned, relieved that she was saved by Alex from telling Kara about her feelings.

“Just some trouble at the DEO. I have to go help. I’ll be right back.”

Kara started to turn away when Lena requested, “Take me with you.”  
  
“Absolutely not! You’re not trained. It’s too dangerous.”

“We can fully be partners now, Kara. I want to be fighting by your side. I can help Brainy. I promise, I can take care of myself.”

“I have a really hard time saying no to you. Come on.” Kara brought Lena with her to a stairwell, where she tore off her glasses.

Lena watched in awe as Kara’s suit appeared. “That’s incredible. You’re incredible. I can’t… Wow.”

“Who’s the one with the crush now?” Kara smirked. Lena’s face turned bright red. “So it _is_ possible to embarrass a Luthor,” Kara joked. “C’mon, let’s get going. I’ll carry you there.” Lena wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck as Kara lifted her and flew off toward the DEO.

Lena was unsure of where she should focus her eyes. Looking down, her stomach dropped at the thought of falling out of Kara’s arms. Looking up, she watched Kara’s calm and determined face. Lena traced Kara’s jawline with her eyes, smiling until she caught Kara’s eyes for moment, which startled Lena into looking away. _Forward. Forward is the only direction I should look._ As much as Lena hated flying, she felt safe in Kara’s arms. In fact, she had never felt safer than in Kara’s arms.

Kara landed at the DEO, placing Lena down beside her.

“You brought _her_ here?” Alex said with disdain. “Are you crazy?”

“She could be useful. Plus, she’s one of the Superfriends now.”  
  
“Whatever, just don’t let her mess anything up.” A crash sounded as J’onn was thrown into the DEO screens. “J’onn!”

Meanwhile, Nia and Brainy were backed into a corner by Midnight. Supergirl leapt into action, using her freeze breath to distract Midnight to allow Brainy and Nia to move out of the corner. Midnight, however, started directing Kara’s freeze breath out of the DEO. Lena dove out of the way before the breath could touch her. Blue faced, Kara fell to her knees, while Nia shot energy out of her hands, pounding Midnight into the wall, rendering her temporarily unconscious. Brainy ran up to her and put the power dampening cuffs on as Kara gasped for air.

Lena ran over to Kara to help her up as Alex yelled at Brainy to grab the Phantom Zone projector. “Are you alright, Kara?” Lena offered Kara a hand.

“I’m fine. We need to take care of this Martian now.” Using her superspeed, Kara ran over and punched the Martian in the face, sending him back against the computer screens. Brainy ran back in with the Phantom Zone projector and shot the blue beam at the Martian. Instead of being sent to the Phantom Zone, however, his being appeared fragmented for a brief moment, and then returned to normal. The Martian said something indistinguishable, and then escaped by phasing through the floor. 

“Why the hell didn’t that work?” Alex asked, confused.

“Something with his unique physiology, I presume,” replied Brainy.

“He’s dangerous, Brainy,” Alex responded angrily. “Go make the projector work before anyone else gets hurt.”

“On it.”

“Lena, why don’t you go help Brainy while I talk to J’onn and Alex,” Kara suggested.

“Of course.” Lena walked out to follow Brainy.

“J’onn, what is your brother doing here, and why is he trying to kill us?” Kara questioned.

“His name is Malefic, by the way. I’m not quite sure yet. In all honesty, I don’t remember having a brother. He showed up at my place yesterday and threatened me, saying that I was a coward and that I was his brother. He said that he was banished to the Phantom Zone, and that I needed to pay for his time there, but because of some curse, he couldn’t kill me directly. That’s why he sent Midnight after us. To kill me. Other than what he’s told me, I don’t know anything about him.”

“How could you have a brother and not remember him?” Alex asked. “There is no way I could forget….. Oh wait, you did mind wipe me and I didn’t know that Kara was Supergirl. Could your mind have been wiped of any recollection of him?”

“That is entirely possible, but I’m unsure of the circumstances that would have led to that. In that case, my father’s mind also would have been wiped.”

“Do you think we can access those wiped memories?”

“You’d really need to dig deep into my mind. I know Brainy has some method of accessing memories. Maybe he could help?”

“Doesn’t Kelly have deep access to the mind through her technology?” Kara asked.

“You’re right, I can talk to Kelly and see if we could use her technology to help you access those wiped memories. In the mean time, we should lay low until that Phantom Zone projector is fixed.”

J’onn was about to speak when Brainy ran in. “J’onn, can we borrow you?”

“Sure, Brainy. I’ll be right in.” J’onn tuned back toward Kara and Alex. “I’ll see you both later.” J’onn followed Brainy out and into one of the DEO labs.

Alex then turned to face Kara, while Lena walked in behind them, though neither of them noticed her presence. “Kara, what the hell were you thinking bringing Lena in here!” Lena stopped in her tracks at the sound of her name. “We do not need her here. I don’t trust her. And, without any sort of formal combat training or powers or suit, she’s a liability. Don’t _ever_ bring her here without my permission again.”

“She’s my friend! And she’s incredibly smart. All she wants is to do good. I know you don’t trust her, but I do.” Still eavesdropping, Lena smiled at Kara’s words.

“I still don’t want her here unless we need her.”

“I know. Your DEO, your rules. But she’s _my_ friend, and I know she doesn’t have the training, which is a concern for me too. We work so well together though, Alex. Please, let her just be my responsibility. You don’t have to protect her. I will.”

Alex sighed. “Fine. Fine. Just. If she makes you slip up, she’s done for. I still don’t understand why you’re so protective of her. I’m going to go do some knife practice. I’ll see you later.” Alex walked off toward the basement.

Kara turned around to see Lena. “Oh, you’re… You’re here. Did you just listen to all of that?”

“I did,” Lena smiled. “Thanks for defending me.”

“Of course, you’re my best friend. I’m sorry it’s so hard for people to trust you, especially my sister.”

“It’s not like I’m not used to it.” A brief silence fell upon them. “Anyway, I was coming to tell you both that we’ve calibrated the Phantom Zone projector to work on all Green Martians.”

“That’s great! See, this is why I brought you along. You’re amazing, Lena.”

_Amazing, huh? Does she like me too? No… Couldn’t be…_ “Thanks, Kara. You’re amazing too.” More silence followed. _Ugh, why did I say that. I actually sound like I’m in lo- Oh wait, I am. But still, I can’t make it that obvious._ “We should probably be getting back to Catco.”

“Yes. Yes we should. Hold on tight.” Lena wrapped her arms around Kara again as Kara swooped her up into her strong arms. Kara took off toward Catco, with Lena happily snug in Kara’s grasp.


End file.
